Sorting Out Those Confusing Postal Codes

Answer Lady

March 11, 1992|By JILL KEECH Daily Press

Q: What do the letters "CAR-RT-SORT" mean on commercial correspondence one receives?

R.M.S., Newport News

A: The "code" stands for carrier route presort, which means the mailer has sorted each bundle of a bulk mailing to the specific letter carrier's route anywhere in the country, says Art Shealy, a spokesman with the U.S. Postal Service in Washington, D.C. The specific routes are provided to major mailers. Presorting lightens the load of postal service personnel who don't have to touch the mailing again until it reaches the local carrier for delivery. An "average" letter would have to be canceled, sorted, bundled, transported to the post office from which it would be delivered and then sorted to the proper carrier route, Shealy says. In return for presorting, the mailer gets a discount - 6 cents on a letter weighing less than 2 ounces going first class. "If you're mailing a million pieces, that's a lot of money," Shealy says.

This arrangement is a work-sharing incentive program that also benefits the postal service. The mailer's per letter savings almost matches what the postal service saves on each piece it doesn't have to handle in the steps outlined above, Shealy says.

Q: Would it be harmful to eat a TV dinner if, after bringing it home from the grocery, it stays in the refrigerator for several days before refreezing it?

no name, no city

Q: Those I consulted said it probably wouldn't be harmful but that it is safest to follow package instructions, which recommend keeping the product frozen until you're ready to cook and consume it. Experts say there are too many unknown variables involved with thawing, then refreezing, including the length of time the product's in the refrigerator and whether the refrigerator is as cold as it should be - 40 degrees Fahrenheit. Organisms can grow in temperature-abused products, says Jenny Scott, associate director of the microbiology division at the National Food Processors Association in Washington, D.C. Though such organisms "generally are not fatal," they can cause a gastrointestinal type illness.

Another possibility is the growth of an organism called listeria monocytogenes, which can cause serious illness and is potentially fatal in someone whose immune system is weakened. Most dinners are fully precooked before being frozen for the retail market, Scott says. But were you to buy one that wasn't, and you left it in the refrigerator for a couple of weeks, listeria monocytogenes might grow.

Q: I'm interested in the people who produced a horror film in Gloucester around Halloween last year. I'd like to contact them to find out when their next film will start, and if they're looking for actors.

A.M.S., Yorktown

A: You're speaking of Shirbert Films, which produced the film "Now I Lay Me Down to Die" in the Gloucester woods. The film's now in its post-production/distribution phase with no definite distribution date set. Although Frank Mummert Jr., Shirbert's founder, doesn't have a film in the works right now, he's constantly updating the resume file with actors and technicians. Mail your resume to Shirbert Films, P.O. Box 1446, Gloucester 23061.

For information on other films produced in Virginia, call the Virginia Production Services Association hotline in Richmond at 287-5070.